We enjoyed grouper with a delicious coconut rice on the side. The restaurant is very lively and fun. Service was good.

This review is for the bar, as we only stopped in for drinks on this trip, but based on that, we'd definitely eat here in the future! The bartender, as well as all the staff we encountered were very friendly and helpful! They have an excellent wine list, some great wines by the glass, as well as a very nice cocktail list. We enjoyed the drinks and great conversation... can't wait to return for dinner! read more

Cafe Marquesa - New American Near Me - Key West, Florida

Went for breakfast while staying at the hotel. Took a long time to get seated and then an extra long time to even get coffee. Managed to place an order for food but that then took even more time. Best estimate is that it was 20 minutes for coffee and then another 45-60 for food. Avoided it like the plague for the rest of my stay. read more

Overall the service was really good, consistent with checking on our party and doing refills. Admittedly we may have high standards, but this food was beyond subpar. The crab cake was non traditional, more of a ceviche than anything, yet this wasn't stated on the menu. Our table was brought out a tasting of braised pork, with a tomato sauce (seen in the pic w crab cake), this bite was luke warm- we were laughing trying to figure out if it was meant to be served hot or cold! The tuna tar tar, was unseasoned. Both (seafood) dishes were bland, and didn't come with lemon lol, and the tar tar came with no vehicle to eat it with as well. The angel hair pasta was the best dish of the entire meal. Again it lacked flavor but was better than the previous. I would suggest going here if you like normal food but I wouldn't say it's beyond what you'd get at any other place around here. read more

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We made a resy for early seating on a Thursday night. This restaurant is a small, so the sound level was quite loud later in the evening. It was hard to decide what to eat because everything on the menu looked good, but our waiter helped with recommendations. The service was excellent; timely and attentive. The food was expensive but delicious, although our meals would have benefited from a dash more salt. read more

Amazing! All of it! From the wine selections to the desserts, we enjoyed it all! Fabulous service, a wonderful dining experience on Key West! We will be back!! read more

Excellent breakfast, cocktails and soothe service. The chef's in the Marquesa kitchen are hitting home runs! read more

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New chef. Do not believe sample menu in photos posted. Limited menu now. Pompous night manager. Crab soup tasteless. Crab appetizer, toast was charred. Service very slow. One item non fish? $78 steak. Crab pasta overcooked and cold. Save your money go elsewhere. read more

We found this place on Yelp and gave it a shot. Food and service was excellent. Definitely recommend this restaurant.

Amazing place for dinner everything was perfect and the staff was incredible. Will go again

Cafe Marquesa is the restaurant in the Marquesa Hotel. I came here on my quest to find the best restaurant in Key West, and to my mind I found it. This, Cafe Marquesa, is it. I tried practically all the others, and though most were very good, their food just didn't have the culinary goodness of Cafe Marquesa. I started off with their She Crab Soup to which I added a generous amount of sherry wine. It was totally delicious with a good amount of lump blue crab. I then had their Prime Beef Carpaccio which was nicely sided with a truffled egg salad, baby greens, and topped with asiago cheese. For my entrée, I had their Grilled Tenderloin of Beef "Oscar." It came perfectly done as ordered with an excellent celery root puree, tender young asparagus, a lump crab cake with real lump crab, and a delicious bearnaise sauce. At $88.00 I thought the price was rather steep, but for what I got, worth it. Throughout my meal, my service was excellent and attentive. Key West has a lot of very good restaurants, but for me, Cafe Marquesa is the best. read more

The atmosphere and attention was perfect. Food was excellent. Had the grouper and the duck. Cocktail was a little too sweet. We will be back next time in town. read more

Real good food and presentation. Service was also excellent and matched what you would expect. Very expensive so I would view this as $$$$ and not $$$ but to put it in perspective it was closer to $200/pp with minimal drinks.... read more

After reading so many wonderful reviews maybe our expectations were too high? But this was just not a highlight for us and we will probably skip it next time we're in town. They tried to do some interesting things like wasabi mash potatoes with their grouper but instead of bringing a little heat and flavor it was just bland and odd - it didn't help that it was cool. The grouper also had a very aggressively hard sear on it - I'm all for a good sear but this was hard. My husbands steak came out very nicely though he didn't care for the sauce - again just not something that mixed quite right. Something that also detracted for us was that the crowd there was rather stuffy and clipped - when you're squeezed in tight to maximize space it's hard to not speak to your date to where others can't hear you - and being told that others are trying to have a quiet meal and we should be silent is a turn off (but I realize this is not cafe marquesas fault so I didn't take stars off for it) read more

Just can't justify the price. I was staying at the hotel (great place, by the way)... didn't want to venture far away on my last night and early AM flight... so I stayed in. I new better to order 18-yr Rye without asking the price, and then I was offered a second pour... OMG.. $100 a shot and not a generous pour, a shot from a measuring jigger - REALLY! I (almost) never look at price but even taking off the $200 for the two shots of Rye, it was still $200 for just me! All I had was an app, carpaccio, black grouper and beignets for desert. So all in with tip it was well in excess of $400 for myself. The food was good 4/5**** quality and service too was good 4/5... there are too many other great places to eat in KW. There's better bang for the buck out there. read more

All I can say is wow. This spot is definitely one of the best, if not the best spot on the island. My group comes to Key West every few years and we have eaten all over the island. Not one complaint out even, a this cold have been better. The service: ultra attentive and impeccable. The ambiance: nice, but not snooty. Drinks: the wine list was not large, but effective. Mark up wasn't bad. The food: So good. We started off with the yellow fin tins sushi, smoked swordfish with fried green tomatoes, and foie gras. All were delicious and highly recommended. I'm always reluctant of swordfish or fish dip at a restaurant, but this dish was amazing. Foie gras never excited me, this one was definitely something I would order again. The little "milk shake" in the middle they give you with it was so tasty, reminded me of a really good egg nog. The entrée wasn't their Ossobuco on risotto. Once again, not the biggest risotto fan because most places don't cook it right since it's a labor of love to make it. They clearly loved it just right. Finally was the beignets we all split. Definitely a great shareable dessert. So hot and delicious. Definitely wanted more than my share. Overall there's nothing I could think of that needs improvement, definitely a must eat if you're looking for a great dining experience. read more

Cafe Marquesa - Ossobuco - New American Near Me - Key West, Florida

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Unfortunately the service was pretty non existent. Food took an age to arrive - was okay, but nothing to get too excited about. Even paying the bill seemed like hard work to them- which was odd, considering the prices of the food! Plenty of other options, with better service, food quality and value read more

Cafe Marquesa : Exceptional food, service and overall experience. I'm from Charleston, SC which has evolved into a world class culinary capitol so when I found out former Charleston Peninsula Grill Chef Graham Dailey is now leading the kitchen at Cafe Marquesa , I made reservations immediately. The experience was amazing . You need to go here. It was the best meal of our trip to Key West . All of the food we tried was fresh , perfectly plated and delicious. The outstanding cuisine was complemented by impeccable, attentive, and gracious service. Chef Graham took the time to greet us , check in with us during our meal and offer us some complimentary fare. He made this Charlestonian feel vip and it was so appreciated ! Make reservations at Cafe Marquesa asap ! I can't wait to return ! Thanks Chef Graham and Cafe Marquesa staff! read more

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Don't go to Key West if you're not going to check out Cafe Marquesa This restaurant is a gem! It's a very intimate and cozy. The staff was inviting and provided impeccable service. Wyatt is a bartender that knows his stuff. It's fun being able to go somewhere and try drinks where the bartender is able to incorporate their personal touch. We tried a couple dishes and each of them were a 10. Fresh and full of flavor. This restaurant is a MUST if you're in Key West. read more

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Great coffee strong but great flavor and was perfect temp. 8.8 The smoked salmon Benedict was flavorful and cooked well, potatoes were good nothing crazy, presentation was nothing special. 7.7 I'd come here again, worth going to if ur in the immediate area. read more

Cafe Marquesa - Cappuccino - New American Near Me - Key West, Florida

All I can say is WOW!! The food was incredible and well prepared. The chef pairs his ingredients well to make every dish a masterpiece. The service was prompt, polite, and very thorough to any needs. Nice ambiance and definitely a memorable experience. I highly recommend this gem. read more

Food was incredible, service was top notch, they went above and beyond to celebrate my wife and I on our honeymoon. Try the triple tail and the beignets! read more

Exceptional service, amazing food. This team is dialed for excellence. We will be back.

Cute Key West cottage a few blocks from Duval street w/both indoor & outdoor seating options. Atmosphere, service & food all well presented & flavorful but be careful of sneaky servers who slide what appears to be a complementary dessert platter onto your bill. Overall a good experience though due to the well prepared & flavorful food. read more

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Below average fine dining restaurant. The restaurant was very cold blasting the A/C making it uncomfortably chilly for my whole family . Ambiance was extremely loud and hard to hear the waiter even say the specials. Drink menu was good though i found the food menu to not be very unique, nor did any dish stand above the others. Desert was the highlight. read more

This was our first time to Cafe Marquesa after reading all the great reviews. Perhaps the reviews set the expectations too high for us. We started with the she crab soup and the wedge salad. The soup was excellent but the wedge was just her typical wedge nothing extraordinary about it. My wife ordered the petite fillet Oscar which was very tender and good. However the risotto that came with it was actually quite runny. I ordered the osso bucco which was served on a bed of risotto. The osso bucco was actually a little dry which surprised me and the risotto was bit runny just like my wife's. We shared a bottle of Snitch Chardonnay with our meal which was quite good. For dessert we had the trio. The trio was good but the portions were small and in hindsight I probably would've got the key lime pie. The restaurant is small and little crowded so expected to be loud and noisy. Our waitress did a pretty good job. There's nothing special about the ambience of this restaurant to us. Overall we spent about $300 on our meal including tip. I don't believe the value is there for the prices they charge and we will probably not patronize this restaurant in the future. There are too many better choices in Key West. read more

Cafe Marquesa - Dinner Menu - New American Near Me - Key West, Florida

I have had Christmas dinner there for the last 10 years it has always been above reproach. I don't know what happened this year. My fried oysters were cold. The grilled swordfish was cold also and it tasted as if it had been boiled The service was slow the time between appetizers and dinner was way too long. Another thing I noticed was that it was not its usual busy pace. It seemed that maybe other diners already knew what I found out. read more

Exceptional service, great food, we found this spot while on vacation, would recommend if you're looking for a nice fine dining spot in Key West! read more

Excellent service and food! Wilson was amazing! The cat Bob was amazing. The food was delicious. Nice bread and butter service. The pork chop was tender and delicious. The grouper was well seared! The key lime pie was excellent. Would have been nice to have gluten free options better labeled along with a gluten free bread option - otherwise will be back! read more

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We have walked past Cafe Marquesa numerous times when we visit Key West. For some reason we've never eaten there. Tonight I got reservations. They gave me an Amuse Bouche of root veg salad. Starter Hudson Valley Foie Gras ( I wasn't quite sure what it was but I know I love pate ) Didnt love the Foie Gras. Taste ok texture a big turn off. Entree was Crispy Yellowtail Snapper with Parmesan Grits, English Pea Purée, Crab Coleslaw and Chili Butter. It was all amazing. Dessert I got a Pot de Crème. This was something I really can make at home basically chocolate ganache served with sweet cream and Grand Marnier Carmel. It was very good. To end I had a chocolate Martini. Wow it had a punch. Now I'm in a sugar alcohol food coma. read more

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We dined here at our concierge's recommendation for our anniversary "week," and it was delightful! The salad with its apple vinaigrette dressing, the She crab soup, Osso Bucco Pork, and yellowtail snapper over grits and creole shrimp--all delectable! Chef surprised us with a beautiful dessert treat, adding the mini milkshakes to the chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream. Excellent service and a cozy romantic ambiance round out the experience to five star! read more

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The chef is a genius!! The food that comes out of this kitchen is remarkable and extremely delicious. The wait staff is awesome and very accommodating in every way. Our drinks and the food we had made our weekend the absolute best. We went for breakfast and dinner two days in a row...that's how much we enjoyed it!! read more

We were a walk in, and found two seats at the bar. We both ordered the Wedge salad which was very unique and tasty. For our main course we ordered fish, one salmon, one yellowtail. Both done perfectly, and might I say by a very creative chef. Definitely on our list to return to. read more

Cafe Marquesa - Crispy yellowtail - New American Near Me - Key West, Florida

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I think Marquesa is the only true fine dining restaurant in Key West that has a potential to gain some Michelin stars one day. Excellent and well trained staff. Food wise, the foie gras was excellent, although the 45-ish price tag was quite steep for this small portion. :) It's more expensive than its a la carry equivalent at Keller's Per Se in New York. The wine list is excellent! The side bread was well done- hot and crispy! I can see the chef's attention to details. The salmon was a let-down. The temperature control for medium rare needs some tuning. Part of the fillet tasted a bit overcooked. And I am not a fan of the tomato eggplant side - they felt heavy and too overwhelming, making the flavor less clean. It's interesting to integrate some South American flairs, but this is a not a Mexican eatery after all. read more

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The fried oysters were good, but the rice base was odd. Frisée salad was very good. Beef tenderloin "Oscar" was also very good, but the celery root puree was a little bitter. The veal chop had great taste but oddly too much fat. The chocolate cobbler was disappointing but the key lime pie was amazing and the highlight!. Service was solid, setting quite nice for Key West, but not sure it was worth the prices they charged. read more

Wow just wow! Most amazing meal we had from start to finish in a VERY long time! Smaller sit down white linen place. If you're looking for rowdy sport bar this isn't it! And don't take your drunk friends here either. This is a quaint sit down have the best meal experience. From service to food to atmosphere! It has it all!. This place is if you want a nice evening with your partner or friend or maybe couples date. Appetizer-Royal pink shrimp & grits (summation of title) OMG! Get your Bread fix with herb butter Dinners-1st, Tenderloin. Probably the most tender delicious beef tenderloin. Came with asparagus & Parmesean frites. Sooo good. 2nd, Scallops. They were the biggest I've ever seen & grilled perfectly. Came with couple pink shrimp and roasted cauliflower & sugar snap peas. Dessert-Beignets! With vanilla cream sauce drizzle! You get a few. Amazing & surprising offering! I believe our waitress was Cassie? Shoulder length blonde hair & petite. Also helped us with our wine choice. We got a red zin blend. She was great! And the manager from Boston offered great conversation and knowledge on the whiskeys. We can't thank you all enough. We're still talking about our evening. read more

We started with cocktails - I had the Juliet and Romeo. My husband wanted the Aviator, which used to be on the menu only it wasn't anymore. The bartender made it for him anyway. Both drinks were very good. After we ordered, the waiter brought warm bread and herbed butter and an amuse bouche which was watermelon based. A lovely little something from the chef. We had ordered appetizers- I got the seared and chilled yellowfin tuna a s my husband got the smoked swordfish &fried green tomato. The yellowfin tuna was lovely and the smoke swordfish was really good. For the main course we enjoyed the grilled Scottish salmon with roasted eggplant and the roasted maple leaf farms duck breast. The salmon was prepared beautifully and "falling" off the fork. The eggplant had great seasoning. The duck was really good and the cauliflower was a nice touch. We went for the dessert trip so that we could try all three of their dessert specialties: Beignet, caramel milk shake and key lime pie. The beignet was good. ( glad we didn't get just them.) the milk shake was very very thick. And the small piece of key lime pie was enough to share between the two of us - you can see in the photo. The waiter, Jorge, was extremely good and attentive. He made recommendations and never rushed us. He knew we came to celebrate our anniversary and even sang a little to us. It was very sweet. Based upon other restaurants we have been to in Key West, this one was more expensive. read more

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The food here is very good. The restaurant is quaint and nice. Great for an elegant date night in Key West, which is a bit unique considering the normal keys vibe. We thoroughly enjoyed each course. I would come back. read more

Cafe Marquesa - Osso bucco - New American Near Me - Key West, Florida

This was a highly rated place on a lot of Key West lists, but it was not a highlight for us. We were looking for an upscale option and the restaurant generously got us in earlier than the online reservations allowed so I appreciated that. We arrived on time and our table wasn't quite ready so we tried to get a drink at the bar but it wasn't possible because all the seats were occupied and there wasn't any room to stand. Luckily the table was ready pretty quickly. We started with some bread and the she crab soup. The first courses were the highlight of the meal. I was impressed and really enjoyed our first bites so I was excited for what was to come. Unfortunately our entrees weren't our favorite. I had the red snapper which I believe was the special for the day and it was just OK. i didn't love the tomato shrimp that came with it, and the fish was pretty forgettable. The grits were good though. I also sampled the miso glazed black grouper, it was also just ok. Nothing to write home about. Overall, this wasn't a winner the night we were here, but maybe the rest of the menu is a better. read more

Chef Graham absolutely slays!! What an amazing experience! We started with the Rockefeller Oyster and the Carpaccio Di Manzo. Oysters where done perfectly au gratin with a minimalist approach and all ingredients balanced for a taste explosion without compromising the Oyster. Carpaccio was thinly sliced and presented perfectly with baby greens, truffled egg salad and toasted slices of sourdough bread. We paired our food with a mid priced Chardonnay called Tate Spring Street. Bold with notes of pear and apple that perfectly complemented our main course. The wife had the Yellowtail Filet. Perfectly pan seared over a bed of grits that takes you back to those southern hearty granma meal! I had the scallops.... OMG they melt!! Seared to lock flavor in, but sooo tender and juicy inside!! Scallops are laid over a bed of vegetables with a kick of bacon that only complement the taste. All servers and staff! ALL SERVERS AND STAFF!!!! Hats off to you guys, you made this dinning experience unforgettable! Wilson, the Argentinian girls, and everyone else. Thank you! Chef, your staff takes your cooking to another level! Marquese Cafe! Best fine dining in the Keysb read more

Cafe Marquesa - Yellowtail and scallops - New American Near Me - Key West, Florida

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